Envelope



(No Model.) 2 Shet-Sheet 1.

J; A. BNO. EN ELOPE.

No. 546,760.. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

a? M w WITNESSES; if .s INVENTOB:

- E .ENO.

' BY UL/LMLJC W ATT'Y'.

ANDREW BGMNAM. PHUTU'UTHQWASHINGTONJI.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I

(No Model.)

J. A. ENo.

. ENVELOPE.

Patented Sept. 24, 1.895.-

FIG. 6

FIG-8 INVENTOBI JOSEPH A. ENO. BY fidwfi FIG] WITNESSES WMD 76.

ANDREW BJSRAHAM.PNOTO-UTIIQWASHINGTDKRC.

firms TATES JGSEPH A. ENO, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ANNIE O.

. OF SAME PLACE.

ATENT ENO,

ENVEVLOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,760, dated September 24, 1895. A imist filed October 1, 1894.. Serial No. 524,599. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. END, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelopes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention pertains to improvements in the construction of letter-envelopes, wrappers for newspapers or for other similar packages, and has for its object to produce an improved envelope or wrapper that will perfectly protect its contents from being injured by the knife or other cutting-instrument used in opening the same, and also reduce the time, labor, and care required in said opening operation.

The invention consists in the novel con-' struction and arrangement of said envelope or wrapper, as hereinafter more fully described, and finally embodied in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the back of an envelope, showing the arrangement of the improved flap when sealed, and illustrating also a knife inserted between the folds of said flap in the act of opening the envelope. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 with the fiap unsealed and one of its folds open. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line a: in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line y in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan of the back of an envelope, having the improved flap at one of its shortest sides. I Fig. 6 shows a sealed wrapper provided with saidimproved flap and encircling a package of papers. Fig. 7 is a verti cal cross-section of the same, and Fig. 8 is a plan view of said wrapper unsealed and fully open.

Similar let-ters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of said figures.

The usual'method employed in opening an envelope, especially where large numbers are received, is by cutting the same with a knife or other cutting-instrument, as illustrated in Fig. 1. As heretofore constructed, this operation brings the knife or cutting-instrument into direct contact with the contents of the envelope, and therefore requires considerable care and time to avoid cutting and injuring,

the said contents, particularly when the contents fill the envelope. By using my improvement all these difficulties are avoided. The knife or opening-instrument does not come in contact with the contents of the envelope, and said contents are thereby perfectly protected from cutting or mutilation. No care is necessary in the operation, while the time and labor required are reduced fully one-half.

In said drawings, a indicates the body of the envelope or wrapper, which may be formed in the ordinary manner. Proceeding from said body of the envelope or wrapperis the flap aiprovided with the inwardly-turned flap thereby forming a flap folded upon itself, as will be clearly seen from Figs. 1 and 8, inclusive. The said flap a is folded upon the flap a in a straight line across the envelope or wrapper, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6, and when sealed forms an independent channel between said folds or flaps. This channel, being outside of and separate from the main body of the envelope, provides a straight and seamless passage, through which the knife or other opening-instrument can be quickly and safelypassed without coming in contact with the contents of said envelope. Flap a as may be seen from Figs. 2 and 8, is provided near the fold a With a gummed surface 5, whereby said flap when closed can be sealed to the body of the envelope or wrapper. The inner flap a is made equal or nearly equal in width with-the outer flap a whereby the inner edge a of the flap a will when sealed be coincident or approximately coincident with the line where the outer flap a proceeds from the body of the envelope, thereby forming an independent tubular channel for the passage of the opening-instrument, and thus effectually protecting the contents of the envelope or wrapper from mutilation or injury by said instrument. The ends a of the inner flap a are preferably made to project beyond the ends a of the outer flap a whereby when the flap is sealed to the envelope an aperture or opening of convenient form is exposed on the back of the envelope between said flaps, into which the blade of a knife or other instrument can be easily and quickly inserted and the envelope rapidly cut without the least danger to its contents, as will be readily understood from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 6.

Having thus described my invention, I desire it to be understood that I do not limitmyself to the precise details herein shown and set forth, as these may be varied and modified; but

What I claim is- 1. In an envelope or wrapper having a flap adapted to be folded upon itself in a straight line from side to side thereof, the upper edge of the inner fold of said flap terminating, when sealed, at a line coincident or approximately coincident with that at which said flap commences, thereby forming a straight tubular channel for the passage of the opening instrument, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. An envelope or wrapper comprising therein, the body a, a flap a connected therewith, a flap a connected with flap a and folded inwardly against the same in a straight line from side to side thereof, the inner edge of said flap at extending, when folded, to a line substantially coincident with that at which the flap a commences, the ends of said flap at extending beyond the ends of flap a to expose an aperture for the insertion of the opening instrument, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony thatI claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of September, 18%.

JOSEPH A. ENO. Witnesses:

FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL, WM. II. CAMFIELD, r. 

